PHOENIX — Arizona's limited ice rink options became even more scarce after weekend monsoon storms caused nearly $1 million in damages to AZ Ice Arcadia, leaving multiple hockey teams scrambling to find alternative ice time.
Jim Curley, general manager for AZ Ice Arcadia, estimates it will cost just under $1 million to fully recover from what Saturday's monsoon storm accomplished in just a few moments.
The storm destroyed all the facility's lights, which are vital for any sport on ice. Wind ripped off a portion of the roof and damaged one of the air conditioning units, causing an electrical fire. He added a satellite dish that was on their building next door ended up on their roof.
Demolition began Tuesday for the reflective, suspended ceiling that needs to be replaced. Water has collected in that ceiling area, dripping down and creating bumps on the ice surface.
"That's what I'm looking at here? Yeah we got a lot of puck holes up here," Curley said, surveying the damage.
The damage extends beyond the main rink area. On the second floor, where Grand Canyon University's locker room is located, you can see the sky through a small hole in the roof.
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"When I was in the venue, I knew this was trouble," said Daniel Nichols, GCU's director for club sports.
Multiple men's and women's hockey teams are now scrambling to find ice time at other facilities.
"Obviously, some of the times may not be great, some of the teams might be hosting us so we're going to try and figure it out," Nichols said.
The disruption affects not only college teams but also numerous youth hockey teams that now need to be rescheduled.
A full recovery timeline remains uncertain, but Curley hopes repairs can be completed within 6 to 8 weeks.
"If this was about money, it would be easy to walk away; it's about the community, it's about the kids the adults, it's about the history of this building being here," Curley said.
The facility, built in the 1960s and known as the oldest ice rink in Arizona, will soon undergo significant repairs to restore operations.
If there's any silver lining to the extensive damage, crews discovered a couple hundred pucks that had been stuck in the ceiling during demolition work.
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